Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are set for a crucial UEFA Champions League semifinal, with just 180 minutes standing between them and a spot in the final. The two sides faced off in the group stage, but PSG has shown significant improvements since then.
Arsenal earned their spot in the semifinals with a 2-1 win over Real Madrid in the second leg, securing a 5-1 aggregate victory. PSG’s path was far more dramatic. A chaotic second leg against Aston Villa saw them narrowly edge their opponents 5-4 on aggregate.
Both teams enter this clash with some recent setbacks. PSG drew 1-1 with FC Nantes and suffered an unexpected loss to OGC Nice, ending their unbeaten run in Ligue 1. On the other hand, Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by Crystal Palace.
Should PSG fans be concerned about the team’s current form?
Ahead of Tuesday’s first leg at Emirates Stadium, French football expert Jonathan Johnson weighed in on PSG’s recent struggles and whether that should be cause for concern going into the first 90 minutes.
“I mean, there is cause for concern, but there’s also not cause for concern,” Johnson said on the latest episode of PSG Talking. “If this is PSG just going through a bit of the decompression period that comes after securing a league title, then, as long as they’re ready to compete over the two legs against Arsenal, you could argue it’s not that big a deal.
“But if PSG fall flat, especially in the first leg against Arsenal away from home, that leaves them with a real mountain to climb in the second leg. And that would suggest the PSG players have taken their eyes off the prize at the worst possible moment. So, I’m not reading too much into their form right now.”
Arsenal are superior to PSG unless otherwise